DOWNEY – Fifth-grader Laurel Akalski made a pinky promise to Santa Claus at the Stonewood Center Mall on Wednesday.

“I told him that I would be good to my mom,” said Laurel, after her visit, during which she locked pinky fingers with St. Nicholas to clinch her promise. “He was cool.”

Laurel asked Santa for clothes on Christmas.

Santa will visit thousands of local children this month at malls, schools, parties and other venues.

Despite his jolly demeanor, being Santa isn’t as easy as it appears.

He will have to endure countless beard-pulls, kicks, coughs, screaming children and camera flashes.

“I get my beard pulled a lot,” said Santa Keith, who Laurel met at the Stonewood Center. “It’s a little uncomfortable. I get kicked a lot too.”

Working Santas responded, in a recent survey, that up to 10 children each day cough or sneeze on 60 percent of them; try to take off the glasses of nearly 50 percent of them; and cry on the laps of 74 percent of them.

The “Santa We Got Your Back” survey, conducted by Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and released Nov. 29, also reported that nearly 90 percent of Santas have their beard pulled each day to see if it’s real.

Santa Tim, executive director of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, said he warns Santas who attend his workshops how to look for children who have wet themselves or may be about to spit up.

“Usually if no one is putting their hand under the child, and they’re holding it under the armpits, that’s a bad sign,” said Santa Tim. “If we see that, we’ll invite them to change the child and come back.”

Santa should know how to calm a frightened child and work with overzealous parents, said Santa Tim.

“There’s a lot more to it than just sitting in the chair,” he said. “Santa has to be a best friend, to know about the toys kids want. You have these responsibilities and yet Santa’s job is the chair and the children.”

These aren’t easy job challenges, especially because Santa can never get angry, said Santa Tim.

But, Santas say the reward is worth the difficulties.

“I love to see the children’s eyes,” said Santa Keith. “They see me and stop, and their eyes get huge.”

On Wednesday, Santa Keith welcomed children to his chair to have photos taken with him at Stonewood Center, where he will be daily through through Dec. 24.

Some children cried when their parents walked with them up to Santa’s chair. Some shook his hand and smiled, wide-eyed with wonder.

The tradition of Santa Claus is about giving, said Santa Tim.

“That’s why this tradition has existed for so many years,” he said. “We love giving, and doing for other people. This persona of Santa Claus makes it so much fun.”